阿富汗总统阿什拉夫·加尼（Ashraf Ghani）的就职典礼在周一因伊斯兰国激进组织（ISIS）声称发生火箭弹袭击而被爆炸声打断。
当听到爆炸声时，加尼在首都喀布尔总统府外的讲台上发表演讲，这导致新当选的领导人暂停并引起与会者的短暂恐慌。总统返回麦克风，并说他不会被怀疑的袭击吓倒。
阿富汗总统随后打开西装，露出他没有穿防弹背心，并宣布他将为自己的国家和人民牺牲自己。爆炸的来源和伤亡人数尚不清楚。
数小时后，ISIS官方通讯社Amaq发表声明，声称“哈里发的士兵瞄准了喀布尔市（第四）区总统府附近暴君（Ashraf Ghani）的就职典礼，并用十枚火箭将受伤了，赞美归于上帝。”
在美国和塔利班签署历史性和平协议后，该国正努力克服持续的动荡，爆炸之际就此发生。
三周前，加尼在9月份的投票中被宣布为获胜者，尽管受到不承认喀布尔中央政府的竞争对手塔利班激进组织的威胁，但仍取得了胜利。18多年来，美国与塔利班作战是该国历史上最长的战争的一部分，在经过多轮谈判之后，交战各方于2月29日签署了和平协议。
但是，在塔利班与阿富汗政府进行首次排定的会谈之前，暴力仍然存在，而且由于ISIS的当地分支机构ISIS-Khorasan或ISIS-K继续开展自己的叛乱运动。
国务卿迈克庞培在周一的声明中说：“美国坚决支持一个统一和主权的阿富汗，并为加强和平作出了积极努力。” “我们谴责今天在喀布尔的恐怖袭击。”
ISIS-K周五对一场致命枪击事件负责，该枪击事件是为纪念被塔利班杀害的哈扎拉什叶派政治领导人阿卜杜勒·阿里·马扎里（Abdul Ali Mazari）逝世25周年而举行的。庞培随后针对最近的袭击发表了一份声明，该袭击造成多达32人死亡，数十人受伤。
庞培说：“美国最强烈地谴责今天的伊斯兰国ISIS-K袭击喀布尔举行的一次集会，以纪念受人尊敬的什叶派烈士。” “在纪念活动中袭击无辜和没有防卫的人是软弱的迹象，而不是力量的表现。我们的想法是与受害者及其家人以及为恐怖主义分子进行防御的英勇的阿富汗安全部队而设计的。”
自和平协议签署以来，美国还与塔利班进行了敌对行动。协议宣布后，阿富汗空军发言人桑尼·莱格特上校周三在推特上确认，美国“于3月4日对在赫尔曼德省纳赫尔·萨拉吉（Nahr-e Saraj）的塔利班战士进行了空袭，他们正在积极袭击#ANDSF检查站”。过去常指阿富汗国防和安全部队。他补充说：“阿富汗人民应有一个没有恐怖的未来。” “正在进行的阿富汗和平进程为阿富汗人提供了一个至关重要的机会，他们可以团结起来，建立统一战线，以对抗ISIS的威胁。”
政治争端继续困扰着喀布尔，因为加尼的主要竞争对手周一似乎也宣誓就任总统。阿富汗行政长官阿卜杜拉·阿卜杜拉（Abdullah Abdullah）指责加尼以欺诈手段赢得了当选后，在宫殿举行了一场对手仪式。
阿卜杜拉在仪式前发推文说：“没有人会低估我们对真正民主的承诺以及我们坚持法治的决心。” “我们的自我否定和妥协的记录不应使任何人将我们视为理所当然。使所有欺诈性选票无效是出路！”
阿卜杜拉目前的职位是在与加尼就该国2014年最后一次总统大选发生争执后建立的，前总统哈米德·卡尔扎伊（Hamid Karzai）执政近13年后卸任。这位长期领导人在担任9/11后美国领导的干预推翻了塔利班控制的窝藏基地组织的几天后就任总统，该组织是在1980年代由中央情报局支持的圣战中反对苏联支持的共产主义政府而成立的。
自2001年干预以来，美军一直留在该国，与塔利班作战，是一支叛乱部队。根据他们最近的和平协议，所有外国部队都将最终从阿富汗撤军，以换取阿富汗内部的和谈，并保证基地组织和伊斯兰国等国际圣战组织无法利用该国攻击其他国家。
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's inauguration ceremony was interrupted by the sound of explosions Monday after a suspected rocket attack claimed by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).
Ghani was delivering a speech at the podium outside the presidential palace in the capital Kabul when the explosions were heard, causing the recently re-elected leader to pause and stirring a brief panic among attendees. The president returned to the mic and stated he would not be intimidated by a suspected attack.
The Afghan president then opened his suit to reveal he was not wearing a bulletproof vest and announced that he would sacrifice himself for his country and its people. The source of the explosions and the number of injuries was not clear.
Hours later, ISIS' official news agency Amaq published a statement claiming that "soldiers of the caliphate targeted the inauguration of the tyrant (Ashraf Ghani) near the presidential residence in the (fourth) district of the city of Kabul with ten rockets, and the injury was delivered, praise be to God."
The blasts came as the country is struggling to overcome ongoing unrest in the wake of a historic peace deal signed by the United States and the Taliban.
Three weeks ago, Ghani, was declared the winner in September's vote, which took place despite threats by the rival Taliban militant group that does not recognize the central government in Kabul. For more than 18 years, the U.S. has fought the Taliban as part of the longest war in the country's history and, following successive rounds of talks, the warring parties signed a peace agreement on February 29.
Violence has persisted, however, ahead of the first scheduled talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and as ISIS' local branch, known as ISIS-Khorasan or ISIS-K, continues to conduct its own insurgent campaign.
"The United States strongly supports a unified and sovereign Afghanistan and is engaged in intensive efforts for peace," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said later Monday in a statement. "We condemn today's terrorist attack in Kabul."
ISIS-K claimed responsibility Friday for a deadly shooting that targeted a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Hazara Shiite political leader Abdul Ali Mazari, who was slain by the Taliban. Pompeo then too issued a statement in response to the recent attack, which killed up to 32 people and injured dozens more."The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's despicable ISIS-K attack on a Kabul gathering held to commemorate a revered Shiite martyr," Pompeo said. "Attacking the innocent and defenseless at a memorial event is a sign of weakness, not a show of strength. Our thoughts are with victims and their families, as well as the brave Afghan security forces who defended against the terrorists."
The U.S. has also engaged in hostilities against the Taliban in the weeks since the peace was signed. After the agreement was announced, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesperson Colonel Sonny Leggett confirmed Wednesday on Twitter that the U.S. "conducted an airstrike on March 4 against Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, who were actively attacking an #ANDSF checkpoint," an acronym used to refer to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces."The Afghan people deserve a future free from terror," he added. "The ongoing Afghan Peace Process presents a critical opportunity for Afghans to come together to build a united front against the menace of ISIS."
A political dispute continues to plague Kabul itself too as Ghani's main rival also appeared to swear in as president Monday. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah held a rival ceremony at the palace after accusing Ghani of winning their tight election through fraud.
"No one should have underestimated our commitment to genuine democracy & our resolve to uphold rule of law," Abdullah tweeted ahead of the ceremony. "Our track record of self-denial & compromise should not have given cause to anyone to take us for granted. Invalidation of all fraudulent votes is the way out!"
Abdullah's current position was created after a dispute with Ghani over the country's last presidential election in 2014, which saw former President Hamid Karzai step down after nearly 13 years in power. The longtime leader assumed the presidency just days after the post-9/11 U.S.-led intervention overthrew a Taliban-controlled government harboring Al-Qaeda, which was formed during the CIA-backed mujahideen war against a Soviet-backed communist administration in the 1980s.
The U.S. military has remained in the country ever since the 2001 intervention, battling the Taliban as an insurgent force. As per their recent peace agreement, all foreign forces are set to eventually withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for intra-Afghan peace talks and the guarantee that international jihadi groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS cannot use the country to attack other nations.
